Engraving attachment



C. R. HlLLlG ENGRAVING ATTACHMENT Nov. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 28, 1962 4"/ 5 Rama 0/ WWW Wm 4 m u C United States Patent bad 3,110,966 ENGRAVING ATTACHMENT Clemens R. Hillig, 146 E. 2nd, Redwood Falls, Minn. Filed Aug. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 219,855 Claims.- (Cl. 33-25) This invention has relation to engraving mechanisms and more particularly to an attachment that will go on a standard engraving machine and will permit accurate engraving with the lettering arranged on an arc, even on curved surfaces.

Presently there are a wide number of dilferent types of engraving machines on the market for engraving trophies, plaques and similar items. Most of these engrav-ing machines utilize a stylus that is placed in and moved to follow individual guide letters or stencils. A working tool is positioned to simultaneously engage the item to be engraved and form the individual letters on the item. The lettering guides on conventional machines are all held on a straight line, and therefore up until now almost all of the machine engraving done has been on a straight line. This is satisfactory for many instances but in some cases it is desirable from the standpoint of beauty to have the lettering arranged with the base line forming an are on the object. Up until now it has been impossible for jewelers to engrave accurately on an arc and therefore it is very very seldom done. No means have ben provided to exactly line up multiple lines of engraving on a curve. The device of the present invention, in the form as disclosed, presents an attachment for existing engraving machines which will hold the stylus guide letters or stencils in an arc and permit an object to be engraved with the letters arranged in an arc also. The device is simple to use and provides accurate precise lettering on the engraved piece. I he lettering can bearranged in multiple lines and each line of letters will be exactly aligned and centered with respect to the other lines.

In addition, means are provided so that the lettering guides or stencils will be exactly centered on the holder in all cases so that the operator is insured of a satisfactory job every time.

It is an object of the present invention to present an attachment for engraving machines which will permit accurate, rapid lettering with the base line of the letters formed in an arc.

in the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a jewelry engraving machine having a stylus guide letter holder made according to the present invention installed thereon;

P16. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken as on line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of a stylus guide letter holder made according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the device of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken as on line 66 in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, a jewelry engraving machine illustrated generally at 10 includes a support member or base 11 which has a plurality of vertical posts 12 mounted thereon. The posts =12 support a pantograph-type engraving machine illustrated generally at 13 which has an adjustment or positioning device 14 and is mounted to a support member 15 extending between two of the posts 12, .12. The other two posts 12 support a stylus guide holder 16 which is mounted on a table 17.

The pantograph is a conventional unit having a pivotally mounted main support arm 18 with three legs '19,

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2t} and 21 mounted thereon. The legs are pivoted to their adjoining legs and pivoted to arm 18, which forms the fourth side of a parallelogram.

The pantograph engraver 13 includes a stylus 22 mounted on an outwardly extending part of leg 19 and having a guide point :23 which is adapted to fit into stylus guide letters, or stencils illustrated generally at 24. An engraving needle 28 is fixedly attached to leg 21 of the pantograph and is positioned to engage atrophy 25 which is. held in the engraving machine. The trophy 25 is held on a vice-type bed 26 which includes a permanently mounted head member 27 and a tail clamping member 30 which is slidably mounted on the bed with respect to the head member and is adjustable through the instrumentality of a' screw (not shown) attached to a crank 31 and threaded through the tail member. 'Iihe crank 31, when it is turned in a first direction, will move the tail clamping member toward the head member 27 and thus a trophy, such as that shown at 25, can be clamped in position on the bed with a vice-type action. A second crank 32 is provided for rotating the trophy that is to be engraved as the lettering progresses. in addition, various adjustment and height controls illustrated generally at 33 are provided so that the trophy can be properly and exactly positioned for engraving in any desired manner.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, a stylus guide letter holder 16 includes a lower mounting block 34 which is 'fixedly attached to table -17 with a plurality of rivets 35. The lower mounting block is conventional and in previous forms of engravers the stylus guide letters were placed directly in provided groves of the lower mounting block.

In the device made according to the present invention a first stylus guide letter or stencil clamping block 3 6 and a second guide letter or stencil clamping block 37 are provided for holding the stylus guide letters or stencils 24 in place. The first stencil clamping block 36 has a pair of brackets 4t 49 fixedly attached to the bottom surface thereof and having beveled or dove-tailed end portions 41, 41 which are of size and configuration to fit within a dove-tail slot 42 in lower mounting block 34. The brackets 40, 40 are slidably mounted in the slot 42 and the block 36 can be longitudinally slid therealong. The first letter clamping block 36 has an arcuately shaped rear wall 43. The second letter clamping lock 37 has an arcuately shaped front Wall 44- which is of the same configuration as the rear wall 43 of the first block 36. The first and second letter clamping blocks 36 and 37, respectively, nest together with the arcuate walls thereof adjacent.

The second letter clamping block 37 also has an arcuate rear wall 45. The two letter clamping blocks 36 and 37 are joined together with a plurality of screws 46 which are rotatably mounted in provided holes in second block 37 and in holes in first block 36 and are threadably mounted through nuts 47 which are countersunk into first block 36. The blocks 36 and 37 together comprise a clamping block assembly 38.

A spring 48 is mounted in provided receptacles 50 and 51, respectively, of the fi st and second clamping blocks 36 and 37 and is mounted over the center one of screws 46. The spring is positioned to resiliently urge the first and second clamping blocks 36 and 37 apart. However, the screws 46 can be tightened to overcome the spring pressure.

The upper surfaces of the first and second clamping blocks are provided with a dove-tailed groove illustrated at 52. One-half of the groove is in each of the clamping blocks so that the complete groove is formed only when both blocks are positioned together to form the block assembly 38. The dove-tailed groove 52 in the top surface of the clamping blocks is of configuration to receive and hold the stylus :guide letters or stencils 24. This is perhaps best seen in FIGS. 2 and 6.

In addition, a clamping screw 53 is threadably mounted adjacent one end of first clamping block 36 and extends vertically through the block. The end portion 54 of the screw also extends through one of the brackets 40* and will engage a bottom surface 55 of the dove-tailed groove 42 in lower mounting block 34.

By tightening the screw 53 downwardly the block assembly 38, consisting of the first and second guide letter clamping blocks can be held positively from longitudinal movement in dove-tailed :slot 42 and thus the position of the stencils 24 can be accurately held.

The stencils or guide letters 24 have beveled edges, il- 7 lustrated at 56, which are positioned to engage the dovetailed edge portions'of groove 52. By clamping the two blocks 36 and 37 together the :guide letters or stencils can be held very tightly in the groove and will not move once they are positioned.

A centering depression 57 is provided in first block 36 in the exact center thereof. The depression 57 is of configuration to receive the stylus guide point 23. With the stylus guide point 23 in place and with the stencils 24 centered on the block 36 the engraving tool can be exactly centered on the trophy 25 so that the lettering will be symmetrical about any desired axis on the trophy.

To further insure that the lettering is exactly centered, the centering depression 57 can be utilized with a com pass (not shown) and an arc can be struck from the centering depression to the outside corner of each of the end letters of the row of letters clamped in the clamping blocks. This is illustrated by the arcs 6t) and 61 in FIG. 3. Thus it is insured that the stylus guide letters or stencils are exactly centered also.

To aid in the initial centering of the stylus guide letters suitable indicia 62 can be provided with lines 63 dividing the blocks into even segments.

Thus it can easily be seen that by placing the desired guide letter or stencils in the provided slots 52 of the clamping members 36 and 37, and by using a compass to center the row of guide letters with respect to the centering depression 57 the letters can be exactly centered with respect to that depression.

The screws 46 will then be tightly clamped and the beveled ends 56 of each of the letters will be acted on by the edges of dove-tailed groove 52 and the letters or stencils clamped in place. The entire clamping block assembly 38, comprising the two clamping blocks 36 and 37 as well as the stencils held in the slot 52 can be slid into the provided dove-tailed groove or slot 42 in a lower mounting block 34. Once the clamping block assembly has been positioned properly with respect to the work piece, screw 53 can be tightened until it interferes with the bottom surface 55 of slot 42 and thus the end portions 41 of the guides will be clamped against the dovetail edges of the slot 42 and the block assembly will be held securely in place.

The stylus guide point 23 can then be placed in the centering depression 57; This will place the engraving needle 28 in the exact center of the word or lettering that is to be engraved upon the trophy 25. The trophy 25 can be rotated by turning crank 32 until the desired center line of the engraving to be placed on the trophy is directly under the engraving needle. The 'bed 26 is raised until the surface of the trophy engages the needle 28. Then by placing the sylus in turn in each of the stylus guide letters or stencils and following the outline thereof with the stylus, a word formed by the letters or stencils 24 held in theclamping block assembly will be engraved on the trophy precisely centered and on a smooth are. This type of lettering presents a much more attractive appearance than the normal straight lettering on a curved surface.

It is very important to note that this lettering on an arc is exact, even when placed on curved surfaces, such as the surface of the trophy 25. Multiple lines of letters can be engraved exactly aligned with all other lines and exactly centered. The stencils or letters forming the first line of lettering as shown at 65 are removed and the new stencils placed in the clamping block. The new line of stencils then is centered in the groove 52 of the clamping blocks as shown at 66 by using the centering depression 57 and a compass to strike arcs to the corners of the stencils. The stylus is then placed in the centering depression and the position of the trophy 25 checked to make sure that the new line of lettering is centered with respect to the previous line. The bed 26 is then shifted to the proper position and the new line of lettering engraved as before for example in position as shown by dotted lines at 67. The two lines of lettering engraved on the trophy will be on exactly the same are and exactly centered.

It is obvious that different size letters or stencils can be utilized by loosening screw '46 sufiiciently to permit the guide letters 24 to be removed and new stencils'or guide letters slid within the dove-tailed slot 52 on the letter clamping blocks. As the guides 40* which fit into the dove-tailed slot '42 of the lower mounting block 34 are fixed to the first letter clamping block 36 only and the separation or gap 64 between the first and second letter clamping blocks does not affect the mounting of the block assembly in the slot 42.

It should also be noted that spring 57 will resiliently urge the clamping blocks apart when the screws 46 are loosened thus insuring that the guide letters '24 can be removed from the clamping blocks easily without any prying or withoutdamaging the letters themselves.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a jewelry engraving machine comprising a base, a vice-type bed on said base for bold ing a work iece to be engraved, a pantograph mounted on said base above said bed, said pantograph having two pairs parallel arms, each pivotally mounted with respect to adjacent arms of the other pair and further having a stylus fixedly attached thereto and an engraving tool mounted thereto in position to engage said work piece, and a support for receiving stylus guide stencils, of: a device for holding said stylus guide stencils with the base line thereof forming an arc, said device including first and second clamping blocks, said first clamping block having a substantially straight front edge surface and a curved rear edge surface, a first portion of a groove having a longitudinally arcuate side surface defined on the top surface of said first clamping block joining said rear surface thereof, said second clamping block having a curved front surface, said second clamping block being provided 'With a second portion of a groove having a longitudinally arcuate side surface facing the side surface of the first groove portion defined in said top surface of said second clamping block and joining said front surface of said second block, a plurality of screws slidably' mounted through said blocks for mounting said first and second blocks in sliding relationship toward and away from each other and forming a block assembly, said groove portions of said first and second blocks together defining a longitudinally arcuate stencil holding groove, a plurality of stencils mounted in said groove, said sidesurfaces of said groove being of dove-tail shape, said stencils having beveled edges of configuration to mate with said dove-tail surfaces of said groove, threadable means on said screws for tightening said first and second blocks toward each other thereby to clamp said stencils in said arcuate groove, and means for holding said first and second blocks immobile with respect to said stencil support member of said en graving machine.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said lettering guide support member is provided with a dovetailed groove in an upper surface thereof and said first block has a pair of brackets fixedly attached to the bottom surface thereof of configuration to fit within and mate with said dovetailed groove of said support member, and a screw threadably mounted through said first block of sufficient length to engage a bottom surface of said dove-tailed groove in said support member thereby to hold said block assembly immobile with respect to said support member.

3. The combination as specified in claim 1 and resilient means urging said first and second blocks apart.

4. The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said first block is provided with a centering depression in the upper surface thereof for centering said stencils with respect to said engraving tool and said Work piece.

5. The combination as specified in claim 4 wherein said first and second blocks are provided with a series of parallel lines evenly spaced along the upper surface there of and centered with respect to said centering depression.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wight Feb. 2, Summers May 17, Johnson July 5, Gray Nov. 5, Dulaney Oct. 28, Butler-Jones Mar. 211, Makishima Aug. 28, Gruettner Jan. 10,

FORETGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 4, 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A JEWELRY ENGRAVING MACHINE COMPRISING A BASE, A VICE-TYPE BED ON SAID BASE FOR HOLDING A WORK PIECE TO BE ENGRAVED, A PANTOGRAPH MOUNTED ON SAID BASE ABOVE SAID BED, SAID PANTOGRAPH HAVING TWO PAIRS PARALLEL ARMS, EACH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO ADJACENT ARMS OF THE OTHER PAIR AND FURTHER HAVING A STYLUS FIXEDLY ATTACHED THERETO AND AN ENGRAVING TOOL MOUNTED THERETO IN POSITION TO ENGAGE SAID WORK PIECE, AND A SUPPORT FOR RECEIVING STYLUS GUIDE STENCILS, OF: A DEVICE FOR HOLDING SAID STYLUS GUIDE STENCILS WITH THE BASE LINE THEREOF FORMING AN ARC, SAID DEVICE INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND CLAMPING BLOCKS, SAID FIRST CLAMPING BLOCK HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT FRONT EDGE SURFACE AND A CURVED REAR EDGE SURFACE, A FIRST PORTION OF A GROOVE HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY ARCUATE SIDE SURFACE DEFINED ON THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID FIRST CLAMPING BLOCK JOINING SAID REAR SURFACE THEREOF, SAID SECOND CLAMPING BLOCK HAVING A CURVED FRONT SURFACE, SAID SECOND CLAMPING BLOCK BEING PROVIDED WITH A SECOND PORTION OF A GROOVE HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY ARCUATE SIDE SURFACE FACING THE SIDE SURFACE OF THE FIRST GROOVE PORTION DEFINED IN SAID TOP SURFACE OF SAID SECOND CLAMPING BLOCK AND JOINING SAID FRONT SURFACE OF SAID SECOND BLOCK, A PLURALITY OF SCREWS SLIDABLY MOUNTED THROUGH SAID BLOCKS FOR MOUNTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BLOCKS IN SLIDING RELATIONSHIP TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND FORMING A BLOCK ASSEMBLY, SAID GROOVE PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND BLOCKS TOGETHER DEFINING A LONGITUDINALLY ARCUATE STENCIL HOLDING GROOVE, A PLURALITY OF STENCILS MOUNTED IN SAID GROOVE, SAID SIDE SURFACES OF SAID GROOVE BEING OF DOVE-TAIL SHAPE, SAID STENCILS HAVING BEVELED EDGES OF CONFIGURATION TO MATE WITH SAID DOVE-TAIL SURFACES OF SAID GROOVE, THREADABLE MEANS ON SAID SCREWS FOR TIGHTENING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BLOCKS TOWARD EACH OTHER THEREBY TO CLAMP SAID STENCILS IN SAID ARCUATE GROOVE, AND MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BLOCKS IMMOBILE WITH RESPECT TO SAID STENCIL SUPPORT MEMBER OF SAID ENGRAVING MACHINE. 